947 PAYMENT FOR ABSENTEE DAYS (FAM)

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Child Care Scholarship payment may be made when a child is absent. Each child will receive a DHHS determined annual allotment of absentee hours based on the child’s authorized service level. The annual absentee allotment renews each calendar year (January 1 through December 31) and can be used when a child is absent until the annual allotment is exhausted.

Annual absentee allotment hours are designated as follows:

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The annual absentee allotment hours are connected to each child and will be prorated up or down when the child’s service level changes.

Example 1: A child with a full-time service level used 40 hours of the annual absentee allotment hours. The service level changed to half-time. Since more than 32 hours were already used, zero absentee hours will be paid.

Example 2: A child with a part-time service level did not use any absentee hours. The service level changed to half-time. Since no absentee hours were used, the annual absentee allotment will be reset to 32 hours.

Example 3:  A child with a half-time service level used 32 absentee hours. The service level changed to full-time. The annual absentee allotment will be reset to 30 hours (e.g. 62-32=30).

If a child used all annual absentee hours and moved to a new provider, the new provider cannot be paid for any absentee days.

When a child care provider indicates absentee hours for a child on the weekly DHHS electronic web billing invoice, the system will automatically deduct the child’s absentee allotment hours if available. When enough absentee hours are available, this will prevent the DHHS child care provider payment from dropping below the authorized service level. When not enough absentee hours are available to meet the authorized service level or when the absentee allotment is exhausted, the parent is responsible to pay the provider the difference between the authorized service level and the actual service level for that week plus any co-payment if the provider chooses to charge one.

When the annual absentee allotment is exhausted, it may result in a lower service level determination for that week, which will affect the DHHS payment made to the provider.

Parents are responsible for paying the child care provider for any hours of child care services when the child’s attendance falls below the approved service level and the child’s absentee allotment has been exhausted.

References: He-C 6918.04(d), RSA 167:83,II(o), 45 CFR 98.20